A look ahead

I was planning on doing some general cleanup this weekend, and possibly a few small projects. However, I’ve had something come up and I’m really not sure if I’ll be able to get any shop time in at all.

So, with today’s posts I’d like to do a general shop update about what’s complete and what’s still left to be done. The last few weeks has seen me get a good little jump on some overdue projects either due to time or finances. I was able to pretty much complete both sides of my cabinet wall project. I’m still deciding if, or how much closing in the backs or bracing I’m going to do. The large unsupported section that sits over the router table definitely needs something, as the right side of that is only attached with a couple of screws. I may secure it to the back wall, that would be an economical solution and still allow me to easily pull it out or make changes and still leave enough clearance for the router table. I need to shim up the entire surface and try and get both sides as level and equal as possible in preparation to put a T-track in for the miter saw. The most important part of this is making it level around the miter saw, but having the whole thing as close as possible will make it easier to work with long pieces.

Also involved in making it as level as possible is the idea that I could shift the miter saw over to in-between both cabinets, where the planer cart resides. Throughout almost this entire process has been the idea that I would have tool modules that could be exchanged as needed, with the planer cart and the miter saw being the primary tenants of their respective spaces. But with the planer cart mobile, and able to move into a couple of spots, it doesn’t make any sense not to match that spot and the miter saw spot and have two areas where I can put these tools at. Being able to move the miter saw to the middle will greatly increase the capability of it in regards to ‘middle’ cuts. Won’t need to employ the circular saw to cut a board in half.

In addition to making the miter saw a component of the modular system, I’m looking to also have a few other tools share this portability. I’d like to have a dovetail station, where I can mount my cheapo dovetail jig. If I make it raised I could combine this with the Kreg jig possibly. Would save space in the cabinet, obviously. With the jig being raised, boards would be able to clear the Kreg in back. The dovetail jig wouldn’t interfere with the Kreg at all. I wouldn’t mind having a platform for the biscuit joiner, and a corner clamp would be a good move too.

I’ve posted several times about non-structural upgrades that I need to do to the walls, doors and window, so I won’t rehash those until they are in the near-term pipeline. For example, something might be in the works for the next few weeks on one of those fronts, but I’ll give it it’s own progress thread. The shingles on the roof have never leaked, so we’re good there. I may recover the exterior walls, but that’s quite a long-shot prospect. The ramp is fine for now, but eventually I’d like to put a deck on when the shop gets leveled out. I’d like to explore the possibility of raising the ceiling. Otherwise, it gets replaced the same as the walls.

I wrote this over the course of several days a bit at a time, so my apologies if it comes across disjointed. I wanted to share that officially the next shop project is the Holtzapffel bench, which I will share details on in a couple of weeks. I want to get the drawer fronts done, the cabinets level, and the modular tool holders started on first. There will be minor little projects interspersed as well.